Starting Anew
by blackmagic0203
Summary: 5 years ago, it wasn't one but two Orimuras who were kidnapped. Placed in a different place as her brother as insurance, Shizuka realizes that maybe her family doesn't care about her at all when no one comes to save her.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is the result of me watching all of 2 episodes of the IS anime so…yeah. I've read some other IS fanfics so I think I know the gist of the story (at least up to the point when some military girl fights Ichika in some tournament) but I hope you guys still enjoy it.

Summary: 5 years ago, it wasn't one but two Orimuras who were kidnapped. Placed in a different place as her brother as insurance, Shizuka realizes that maybe her family doesn't care about her at all when no one comes to save her.

Shizuka starts school 1 month after everyone else does, so I put it sometime after the Cecilia and Ichika fight and before the Rin and Ichika fight.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to the Infinite Stratos world.

"speaking"

'thinking'

* * *

-Kaminaga-Kurokami Shizuka POV-

I walked in a brisk pace towards my destination. Even though I was in a hurry, my training prevented me from hurrying or running in an undignified manner. I checked my watch and cursed when I realized that even with my current pace, I had little chance of being on time.

10 minutes later, I arrived at the front gate of a traditional Japanese estate belonging to the esteemed Kaminaga Clan. I casually greeted the two guards, who let me through without fuss. After living here for 2 years and with my frequent visits after leaving, all the servants and retainers of the Kaminaga Clan pretty much knew me by face now. I remember thinking it strange to still have things like retainers in this day and age when I first arrived, but now not so much. I guess you could say I've gotten used to the less than modern practices of the Kaminagas.

I walked along the stony path that led to the main house, absentmindedly registering the small changes that had been made to the garden. Normally, I would have spent at least a few minutes enjoying the beautiful garden that sat between the front gate and the estate, but I had no time. I wouldn't dare be late to a meeting with that person.

Kaminaga Chitose.

She was my savior. She took me in and gave me a purpose. She taught me how to survive. I don't think I would be kidding if I said that she was the most important person in my life. Whether it's to the point where I would give my life for her, I wouldn't know. Many people would have agreed that this was an unhealthy relationship.

As the head of the Kaminaga Clan, she had it all. A vast fortune. Loyal servants. A grand estate. The Kaminaga Clan was a shadow clan; one that stayed off the radar but still held influence. The family went back for generations upon generations, starting around the time of ancient Japan. Despite their long existence, barely anyone knew of the clan, which was exactly what they wanted.

Upon arriving at the front door, I paused for a brief second to compose myself and then headed straight towards the designated room. The estate was huge and I remembered getting lost many times when I first arrived here 5 years ago. It was like a maze; unless you were familiar with the blueprints, you would definitely get lost. I wouldn't be surprised if there were hidden rooms filled with traps somewhere. There might even be some dead bodies; they never did find out what happened to that one maid who disappeared on day…

With a familiar ease, I made my way down the hall and paused at a door near the end. I rapped the sliding door three times and announced myself. "Chitose-sama? It's Shizuka."

"Come in." a soft yet commanding voice said.

Not wasting any more time, I slid the door open and walked in. The room was unsurprisingly bare, with only a few pieces of furniture. I idly noted that nothing had changed at all since my last visit. My gaze fell upon a picture, the only decoration in the room, which hung on the right wall. It was a simple photo that held only 2 people.

The first person was sitting on an ornate chair with her legs crossed in a dignified manner. She had long black hair that fell to her waist. Her azure eyes seemed to glow in the picture. She wore a dark blue kimono with a red sash. On her right hand was a ring with the Kaminaga Clan's symbol on it. It was Kaminaga Chitose in all her glory.

I was the second person in the photo. Standing slightly to the right, I had my left hand resting on the chair's back. My black hair reached the end of my neck, covering the black cord of my pendant that had the Kurokami Family's symbol. I wore a light green kimono to match my equally green eyes, an uncommon trait in my blood family.

The picture was taken 2 years ago, when I finally returned after my year long journey that Chitose-sama sent me on. It always brightened my mood whenever I saw it.

"Cutting it close there, aren't you?"

My head snapped towards the direction of the voice and I blushed at the reprimand.

"My apologies. Mai came to my house earlier today to tell me some important news and I lost track of time." I hastily mumbled out, hoping that she wasn't too mad.

She gave off a soft chuckle and instantly my body relaxed a little. She must be in a relatively good mood if she did that. "Don't look so tense, Shizuka. Even though you barely made it in time, you weren't late so I'm not mad. Tell me, what did Nakamura-san want?"

That was Chitose-sama; always polite even with people who were clearly beneath her.

"She wanted to personally tell me that she made it into the IS Academy," I started. Mai had been ecstatic when she found out and decided to personally tell me. After all, getting a place in such a prestigious academy was every girl's dream. "I'm thinking of asking Kei to help build a personal IS for her. That would still leave us with two cores to study. What do you think?"

"Ask him to make two instead of one."

I stared at her confusedly. "We already gave Miya her own IS during her second year so it's not for her. Was there someone else entering the Academy this year?" Did someone else pass the entrance exam and not tell me? Truthfully, that didn't make me feel good. After all, I expect my people to inform me when they make big decisions like this.

"Yes, you are."

My jaws dropped in surprise and I could tell that she was amused at my reaction. It wasn't often that someone could catch me completely off guard. With my information network, I had the pleasure of knowing almost everything of importance going on around the world almost immediately after it happened.

She seemed to be waiting for some kind of verbal response but the only thing that I could get out was an unintelligent "wah?"

"That's right. You will be attending the IS Academy after we return from our trip to China. That would force you to miss a month of school, but I expect that it won't be too much of a problem." She said as if it were a given that I would attend. But, I guess it was. If anyone else had dropped me a bombshell like that, I would have told them to "shove it" as Mai so eloquently puts it. But this was Kaminaga Chitose and she knew that I would never turn down any of her requests (more like orders).

"Fine, but why am I going so soon. I expected to have to attend eventually, but I didn't think that would happen until next year. After all, I'm only 14."

She opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a file. I noticed that it was relatively thin compared to her usual amount of information. She must not have much on whatever this was. "I don't know if you heard, but 2 weeks ago at the first examination site the IS Academy was using, an unexpected incident happened." she began as she started to open the file. On the first page was a picture of someone that I hoped to never see again, or at least this soon. "Meet Orimura Ichika, the first male IS pilot."

"Well, this is unexpected." I murmured as I stared at the picture of someone from my past. "But I still don't get why I have to go?"

"I was getting to that. Don't be so impatient." she chastised and I mumbled an apology. "As you know, the IS world is a female dominated world. A male suddenly showing the aptitude for piloting an IS would upset the balance."

"Wait, how is it even balanced if only females can be pilots?" I asked. It never made sense to me why only females could use the IS. Or more importantly, why no one bothered to invent a version that males could use. Even if Shinonono Tabane refused to fix that problem, the world was full of smart scientists that could band together.

She glared at me and snapped, "Are you going to keep interrupting me or are you going to let me finish explaining your mission?" Wow, I think I just made her mad. Not good.

"Please continue, Chitose-sama."

"As I was saying, with his arrival, the IS world's balance would be upset. Different groups are already planning how to recruit him into their midst. There are even talks over kidnapping and experimenting on him. If this continues, wars will soon follow. After all, he is an anomaly and everyone is interested in him. Tell me, Shizuka, what is the purpose of the Jōten no Kyōgi-kai*?"

"To maintain the balance of the world, Chitose-sama" I recited perfectly. As the heir to one seat of the council and a student of another, I spent many nights painstakingly memorizing their history.

The Jōten no Kyōgi-kai, otherwise known as the God's council, was a group of people who strove for peace in the then bloody and lawless time of classical Japan. Said to have been commissioned by the god of the sun Ameterasu herself, these influential men banded together in their ideals and helped bring about peace. With their work done, rather than disband, they agreed to watch over the country and interfere if there was ever a threat to its peace and balance again.

Over the generations, whenever something major happened, the council was always involved in some way. With centuries to grow and prosper, the council gradually began to spread its power throughout the globe. And with that expansion, they began to understand that some conflicts were unavoidable. Although they were unsuccessful in stopping Shinonono Tabane from introducing IS to the world, they did their best to maintain balance by manipulating world leaders into demanding equal distribution of the cores and signing the Alaska Treaty.

The thing was, people would assume that having male pilots was a good thing; that balance was being restored as both genders now had a chance to use an IS. That would be true if there had been more than 1 male IS pilot or if they created a whole other machine altogether.

But that's not what happened. Now, countries might go to war because of one man.

As for the council, it was made up of the head of 5 major families, all who carried the word 'God' somewhere in their names as a way to remind them of their original mission.

"And that's exactly what you are going to do; maintain balance." she answered perfectly.

"So, what did you want me to do? Kill him?" I didn't particularly like that thought, but orders were orders. One man will never be worth more than hundreds, no matter who that man was.

She shook her head and I relaxed a little. "Observe. I want you to watch him. He is safe at the Academy for now. But, when his 3 years are up, I want to know what he will do. That's why we need someone who is in the same grade; it makes it easier to watch him."

"But wouldn't Mai be better suited for the job? Or any other 15 year old for that matter. Wouldn't it be suspicious if a 14 year old attended?" I highly doubted that I changed so much in 5 years that no one would recognize me. And if they did, they would be curious as to where I've been and most likely jeopardize the mission.

"This is your initiation test; everyone on the council has agreed." Now that answered a lot of questions. There had been a vacant spot on the Jōten no Kyōgi-kai for 3 years now, ever since old man Masaru died. As his successor, I had to be trained before being able to take his place. Good thing there weren't many major happenings that occurred during that time.

"I understand. I'll go inform Kei right away." With a bow I prepared to leave. There were still a couple of months left until school started but I had many things to do.

Before I reached the door, Chitose-sama spoke up. "You know, you'll have to attend under your real name. Your adoption into the Kaminaga and Kurokami Clans, while official in our eyes, is nonexistent in the eyes of the government."

I silently cursed under my breath. "Isn't there a way to change that?" I asked hopefully.

"Nope."

I swore she was laughing at me on the inside despite her stoic face. I left the room muttering about manipulative teachers. I wonder, how will they take my reemergence? It's been 5 years since that incident and a lot's changed. But one thing's for sure, it did change for the better.

* * *

**Flashback: 5 Years Ago**

_A flash of lightning caught my eye and I looked up at the cloudy yet rainless sky as I made my way home. It was just a typical day for me and just like every normal day, I was alone. My sister was off Kami knows where, probably doing something IS related. My brother was still at school participating in an after school Kendo club. And my parents… well they just up and left one day so I don't really care about where they were. _

_I idly kicked a few rocks in front of me as I walked the familiar path home. Sometimes, during days like this, I wished that I actually had some real friends. My sister, a Mondo Grosso champion, was for lack of a better word, famous. Everyone (every girl) wanted to get to know her. That's how I found myself at the end of dozens of false friendships with people who basically used me to get to my sister. I hated when that happened: the people who shamelessly used their connection with me saying things like 'Oh hey! Your sister is that Mondo Grosso champion right? Can I have an autograph?' or 'Do you think you can introduce me to your sister? I'm a fan.' So, that's pretty much why I'm friendless._

_Not to mention, my relationship with my siblings wouldn't be considered the best. My sister, for example, was never home. It was always 'tournament this or demonstration that' with her. And when she was home, it seemed like she would rather spend time with my brother instead. I always got the distinct feeling that she loved him more than me, not that she ever said that to my face or anything._

_My brother, well, was indifferent at best towards me. I knew that he blamed me for our parents' departure since they left almost immediately after giving birth to me. I think I was still in the hospital when they abandoned us. Even though we went to the same school, he never bothered to talk to me. I heard that was normal between siblings our age; something about a boy's cootie phase. But, I really didn't think that was the problem. My sister assured me that he would outgrow this belief soon, but I didn't really care. If, not when, he finally realizes his mistake, it would be too late already. By then, I wouldn't see him as a brother figure anymore._

_And to top it all off, they both had friends when I didn't. My sister could be intimidating at times so people knew better than to try to use her. My brother was a guy. At his age, most of his friends were also guys, who conveniently didn't keep up with the IS world. After all, they couldn't pilot and IS units, so why bother keeping up with the news? Who cares who won the Mondo Grosso? So, basically, he didn't have to worry about fakers._

_I was broken from my thoughts when the sounds of tires rapidly braking could be heard. Out of nowhere, a black van skidded to a stop right beside me. The back door slid open and two men climbed out of the vehicle. My first thought upon seeing them was that they were from the mafia. After all, what other group wore tailored black suits with dark sunglasses and dress shoes. It was either that or they were some sort of businessmen. Judging from their menacing looks, I highly doubted that._

_At this point, it would have been obvious to run. But my body froze on me and my legs refused to move. Maybe it was the guns that they proudly showed attached to their waist. _

_The front window rolled down and the driver pulled out a piece of paper. He stared at it for several seconds before turning his gaze onto me. "Looks right. Grab her and knock her out if she struggles too much." _

_At his words, the two men closed in on me. My body tensed and I prepared to dash away the minute I had a chance. It seemed like they thought I was going to cause trouble, because not a second later one of the men appeared behind me and knocked me out. My last thoughts were that I really should have bothered to learn some type of martial art._

* * *

_I woke up to pain and darkness, something that definitely set off the alarms in my head. Even with my eyes opened, the darkness remained. Was there a blindfold on me? I was about to shout when I heard some voices around me._

"_Why do we need both brats? Wouldn't one be enough?" a person I now dubbed grunt 1 asked. Both brats? Was there someone else here with me?_

"_We need some insurance just in case something goes wrong. There's no way they can rescue both kids at the same time, especially since they are in two different locations. This way, we still have some leverage. If she saves one, she'll find out the location of the other. Then, we'll have a chance to set up an ambush ahead of time with the hostage as a shield. " a voice I recognized as the driver answered. What were they planning? _

"_Can you explain the plan again?" Grunt 1 asked. It was like the grunt asked just to satisfy my hidden curiosity. Maybe Kami-sama was on my side after all?_

_I heard a sigh. Clearly, the plan's been explained many times already. I guess some people just don't have the brain power to understand. "We call the bitch and explain to her that we have someone precious to her. If she doesn't forfeit her next match in the Mondo Grosso, then bad things will happen." _

_I twitched as I heard his explanation. Really? This whole thing for a stupid tournament? What the hell! _

"_But, it really doesn't' matter if she forfeits or not. Either way, we'll keep the brats when the whole this is over. Since their related to her, they should prove useful in the future. Besides, that bitch already cost us a lot of money. If we can, were gonna capture her too." the driver continued to explain._

"_What's the point of keeping the boy then? It's not like he can pilot an IS." the grunt asked._

"_There might be some use for him. The slave business is going well lately so if he turns out to be useless, we'll sell him."_

"_When are we going to make the call?" a new voice asked. This guy was clearly another grunt if the way he spoke was any indication._

"_The guys on Team 1 already did." the driver replied. I could hear footsteps getting closer to my location. My heartbeat quickened as I heard whoever it was stop right in front of me. I felt a small kick and let out an unintentional grunt. "Hey boys, it looks like the brat's awake."_

_My blindfold was yanked off, giving me a clear view of where I was for the first time. Since the room was relatively dark, it didn't take long for my eyes to adjust to the light. At first glance, I could tell that there were at least 5 men here, maybe more outside. _

"_I hope you've been enjoying you stay." The driver said with a smirk. "You better get used to it because you aren't leaving for a long time .No one is coming to save you."_

_I put on a brave face and called his bluff. "My sister is gonna come! And when she does, you'll be sorry!"_

_Before he could respond, a beeping sound started to come out of a nearby computer. "Hey Boss! Base 1 is sending a SOS message to us!" a random grunt exclaimed._

"_What does it say?" he asked in surprise._

"_An IS attacked and managed to save the brat! They managed to send a video before all connections were cut!"_

_I watched as the video replayed. It should a warehouse not unlike the one we were in right now. I saw my brother, bounded by rope one the ground. Surrounding him were over 20 men and an IS. I watched as my sister blasted into the room. With methodical ease, she dispatched the IS in seconds. I watched the fire burn in her eyes as she mercilessly cut down the remaining men. I had no doubt that most would be dead if their wounds weren't treated soon enough. _

_Just as she picked up my brother bridal style and left the building, the whole warehouse exploded in a shower of lights and the video died. I guess there was no point in worrying if those men would make it to a hospital in time. After that explosion, they were most likely already dead. _

"_Well, well, well. It looks like the bitch was more informed than I thought. To think that she actually managed to find the base that fast." He turned to me and pulled out a long army knife. "You better hope for your sake that she comes for you too. I need to pay her back for what she did to my men." _

_The driver was radiating some bloodlust now. It seemed like he either really cared about his men or that he hated the idea of losing to my sister. Whatever the reason, his whole being called for blood and he used me as a nice substitute for my sister until she came._

_I waited and waited and waited. But she didn't come for me. She saved my brother, but not me. Was I that insignificant in her eyes? Did she even bother to find out if I was also kidnapped?_

* * *

_-Third Person POV-_

_The moon shone brightly as a shadow stalked the rooftops. The figure stopped at a comfortable spot and observed the building in front of her. She had been walking home when she noticed some movement in what was supposed to be an abandoned warehouse. Curious, she decided to see what was going on._

_The outside guards were easy to dispatch. It was like they were waiting for someone to come and weren't paying attention to their surroundings. Two IS units stood protectively on either side of the door to the warehouse. The figure dashed towards them in an inhuman speed._

_If one were to ask if a mere human could ever match an IS, people would scoff at the idea and claim it impossible. It would be for good reason too, since the IS was stronger and faster than an ordinary human. The suit also allowed its pilots to process information faster and gives them a broader view of the battlefield. But, the one who attacked was by no means an ordinary human. So, again with ease, two sift projectile weapons were launched at their direction. Not even having enough time to activate their suits, the pilots already lost. _

_When she managed to sneak in, what she saw sickened her. In the middle of the warehouse stood 5 men all dressed in black. They were surrounding a little girl, who looked no older than 8, maybe 9. The little girl had cuts and bruises all around her body. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on._

_Faster than anyone could see, the figure swished in front of the hurt girl. The group of men all jumped back in surprise. That was all the time the figure needed to initiate a brutal attack. In less than a minute, all 5 men were on the ground, dying from wounds made by an unseen weapon._

_The figure turned to face the girl, who by that point was already unconscious, and carried her to a safer location._

* * *

_-Kaminaga-Kurokami Shizuka POV-_

_I woke up to the sun shining in my face and a massive headache. Slowly, but surely, I remembered what had transpired before I passed out. I remembered waiting for my sister to come and save me just like I watched her save my brother. I remembered my kidnappers become hostile when it seemed like no one was coming after waiting for hours. Then, I remembered a black blur saving me from an attack before passing out._

"_Good, you're awake." a voice to my left said. _

_I turned my head and realized for the first time that I was lying on a bench. The scenery seemed familiar and I deduced that I was at the park that was half an hour from my house. To my left stood a woman who was, without a doubt, my savior. Her black hair seemed to flow with the wind and her blue eyes pierced into my own red ones. Her whole being screamed danger and power to me. _

_I tried to sit up, but the sudden movement made me dizzy. I felt myself being pushed back down and allowed it. "You shouldn't move so much. With the amount of blood you lost, you'll be feeling nauseous for a while." the lady said. Her voice was gentle, something I didn't expect._

"_Thanks for saving me." I said in a monotonous voice. I would have sounded more thankful and exuberant if I hadn't just remembered that it was her and not my sister who ended up helping me._

"_Well, this is the first time I met someone so indifferent about being saved." she mused as she moved to sit on the bench next to where my head was._

_I flinched slightly at what she said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful or anything. I just have a lot on my mind." I murmured just loud enough for her to hear. _

"_Hmm? Well, why don't you tell me where you live so that I can send you home? I pretty sure your parents are worried." she said while absentmindedly fiddling with the ring on her hand. _

"_Don't have parents. Don't wanna go home yet .Go away." I replied as I closed my eyes. I'd rather have some time to myself so that I could properly think things through. A lot of things had happened after all. I noticed that she was still here, despite my attempts in being rude to make her leave. "You don't have to stay here, you know? My house is close by anyways." _

"_You seem to have a lot on your mind. Want to share what's bothering you?" I knew that she was trying to be nice. At least someone cared, even if they might be just pretending._

"_She saved him, but not me." My answer was cryptic. But even without the proper knowledge, the lady seemed to piece together the important message: that someone else I knew was saved but no one came for me. Thankfully, she didn't pry too much._

"_Well, I save you. Doesn't that count as something?" she playfully asked. 5 years from now, I would have never thought that this woman would have a playful side to her._

_I chuckled a little and replied, "Yeah, it does. But for some reason, it's just not the same, you know?"_

"_What's not the same? Who did you want to save you?" she asked softly, not pressing me too hard for information._

"_It just hurts." I started as I felt some tears threatening to fall. "It hurts that I'm not good enough to be saved."_

_The lady stood up abruptly. I looked at her and was surprised to see the look on her face. "Everyone deserves to be saved."_

_I didn't say anything. I had no response for that and no words were spoken between us for a few minutes. Then, when the silence almost became unbearable, she said something that shocked me. _

"_If you want to leave, come to this park by 5 o'clock tonight." she whispered before walking away. My mind was filled with uncertainty. Sure, I didn't have the best relationship with my siblings, but was that enough for me to run away? _

_With conflicting thoughts in mind, I started on my trek home. _

_It was almost noon when I arrived home. It seemed like forever since I last saw my house, even though it's only been less than a day. I punched in a few numbers into the state of the art security system and waited for the door to unlock._

_I was tired and it was understandable. Maybe a nap or a relaxing bath would do me some good. When I walked into the living room, I saw what most people would consider a cute sight. There, on the couch, was my sister lovingly holding my brother as they both slept. I noticed the protective embrace that she held my brother in and I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. _

_It seemed that after the rescue, they both just knocked out on the couch not even bothering to shower or change clothes. They looked so…so peaceful and complete. I saw the small cuts and bruises on my brother and compared them to the ones I had. It seemed like he received better treatment than I did. My mind felt slightly numb; how was it fair that he was treated better by both family and enemy? _

_I quietly tiptoed to stairs, trying not to wake them up. Just as I was about to reach the stairway, someone spoke._

"_Where have you been?" I turned to face the owner of the voice. Somehow, to my disbelief, my sister managed to maneuver herself off of the couch without waking up my brother. "Well?" she growled out impatiently._

_I had to think of an answer. What was I supposed to say? 'I was in an abandoned warehouse being held against my will waiting for you to save me?' Instead, I settled for saying "I was out." It may have seemed rude; but hey, I was tired. Sue me._

"_Your brother was kidnapped and you did nothing to help? Weren't you worried about him at all? Why didn't you call me when you noticed he didn't come home?" I could see anger and fear in her eyes. Anger because she thought that I didn't care and fear because she was afraid of losing our brother. _

_I clenched my teeth and tried not to let my emotions show on my face. She was being unreasonable. "How was I supposed to know he got kidnapped? I didn't even know he never made it home."_

"_And why weren't you at home? What happened to your clothes?" she demanded to know. It seemed that she noticed my injured state for the first time. I guess it would be pretty hard not to notice; I was covered in cuts and bruises while my clothes were pretty torn up. For a faint moment, I exercised the thought that she was worrying about me: that she would apologize for not saving me and treat my wounds. Those thoughts went down the drain when she continued to speak. "You just like to cause trouble, don't you? If you had just been at home on time, then I would have known that he was missing sooner. I wouldn't have had to waste so much time." _

"_Well then, sorry for making you waste your precious time." I bit out without thinking. "It's not like I had a good reason for being unavailable or anything." _

_*Slap*_

_I felt a stinging sensation on my right cheek and looked at my sister in shock. She looked angry as she quietly yelled at me; something I didn't think was possible. Not the yelling part, but the part where she was doing it quietly. How do you even do something like that? She probably didn't want to wake my brother up. Her long rant ended with informing me that she was disappointed in me and that I was grounded until further notice. _

_By that point, I didn't even care anymore. I was already halfway up the stairs with tears threatening to come out of my eyes. When I reached my room, I did the only thing I could do to relieve some of my frustration; I slammed the door. I think I might hate her._

_Maybe it was my whirling emotions or maybe it was that deep down I knew that this wasn't the place for me. Whatever the reason, I knew that I had to go. I was hesitant at first, but what happened just now convinced me. _

_It didn't take me long to pack my things since I didn't have anything important to take. This was going to be a new start so anything that pointed to me being Orimura Shizuka was going to be left behind._

_Now, I only had one problem left. How was I going to run away? After the kidnapping fiasco, I'm pretty sure that my sister became more vigilant. Add that to the fact that she just grounded me, I don't think I could leave the house without being noticed._

_The answer to my prayers soon came. Apparently, when I slammed my door, I woke my brother up. Since it was past noon and he hadn't eaten anything since before the kidnapping, he was hungry. The chores in our house were divided like this: my brother did all the cooking while I did the cleaning. My sister was hopeless in household chores so she never bothered to help. My brother obviously didn't have the time to cook lunch, so my sister apparently decided that they would eat out. _

_I say apparently because I didn't know for sure. After all, neither of them bothered to tell me anything. They just left and didn't even ask me if I wanted anything to eat. I only knew that they left because my room had a view of the driveway. I had been staring at the clouds when I saw them both get into my sister's car and drive off. _

_Perfect. They were gone. I had at least 2 hours before they came back. I looked at the clock and it read 1:27 pm. There were still three and half more hours until the specified time. What was I going to do to waste time? _

_My stomach growled and I realized that I too haven't eaten since my kidnapping. This would be the last time I stepped into this neighborhood if I had anything to say about it so I might as well go to my favorite restaurant one last time._

_I opened my window and checked for any witnesses. I couldn't go out the front door since they had monitors and time stamps that showed whenever the door opened. I tossed my duffel bag out the window and put my backpack on. With one last look at my home for the past 9 years, I jumped towards a nearby tree branch with practiced ease. I used my momentum to swing myself towards a lower branch and latched on. At this new height, it was easy to just drop to the ground._

_I looked at the house one more time before picking up my duffel bag and heading to my favorite restaurant: a ramen store owned by a nice old man that was a 10 minute walk away. _

"_Oh, you're back again?" I heard the old man say as I sat down. I had been coming to this place for years. The old man, who noticed that I was always alone, usually made time to talk to me. When I had particularly rough days, I would always unwind here and the old man never turned me away. In return, I would do any errands he wanted. It was a weird relationship. We didn't even know each other's names. He was just 'Ojii-san'* and I was always 'Jou-chan'* If I left, this old man would most likely be the person I missed the most._

_I ordered my usual chicken ramen and ate at a sedate pace. It wasn't like I was in a hurry or anything. I was the only one in the shop today, so he gave me his full attention. "Going somewhere, jou-chan?" he asked as me pointed to my duffel bag._

"_Kinda." I responded. How was I going to say this? I didn't want him to worry when I stopped coming here to eat. I finally decided to just tell the truth, in a not so truthful way…"I'm going on a trip." _

"_Hoh? That's sad to hear. You are, after all, my number one customer. How am I going to make any money without you here?" he joked. He looked me in the eyes and I felt like he could tell that I was running away. Must be a wise old man thing._

"_I'll miss the food here. While I'm on my trip, I mean." I said as I finished the last of my meal. _

"_Are you going to tell me your name then?" he suddenly asked when I put down some money._

_I hesitated. If he knew my name, then he might tell the police about me if they came to look for me. "Don't worry ojii-san, I'll come back. It's not like I'll never see you again." I finally said._

"_You know, I always thought of you as my own granddaughter." I nodded at the words. He had told me of his family and how they all died in an accident years ago. "I'm getting old, you know? Maybe by the time you come again, I won't be around anymore."_

_I looked up as he said that. He definitely knew that I wasn't coming back. Should I tell him? I had an internal debate, but in the end my caring side won through. "It's Shizuka." I said. No need to tell him my last name. That would be a dead giveaway as to who I was related to. _

"_It suits a calm and excellent child, like yourself." he said after closing his eyes. He didn't push for my surname and that made me happy. "Since you told me your name, then it's only fair that I tell you mine. Kurokami Masaru. Remember it well." _

_For some reason, I felt that his name held great power. But he was just an old man right? He then reached into this pocket and pulled out a pendant with a black cord. It looked oddly similar to the one that he always wore._

"_Here, take it." he said as he tossed it to me. I caught it in both hands, afraid that it would drop id I used just one hand. The only word I could say about the design was that it was unique. The pendant itself was round and silver in color. Etched on the silver was the Kanji for the word 'God' and it was surrounded by black fire. I stared at the piece of jewelry in awe; it was mesmerizing. _

"_Why?" It wasn't like it was my birthday or anything. _

"_Put it on. It'll help you in the future." That was all he said. It sounded so…mystical. With the necklace on, I waved goodbye to the old man and left the ramen store._

_I still had two more hours left. What to do, what to do? I ultimately decided to just wait at the park for the rest of the time. I had my laptop with me, so I wouldn't be too bored._

* * *

_-Third POV-_

_Back at the ramen shop, the old man was calmly drinking tea when several men stepped into the store. They were all wearing suits, not unlike the ones the kidnappers were wearing. They circled the old man and anyone would have mistaken their intent for a malicious one. What other reason would a group of people surround an old man for if not to hurt or rob him?_

_But contrary to what others might have thought, that was not their intention. In a surprisingly submissive move, they all bowed before the old man, who was still nonchalantly drinking tea._

"_It's been a long time, Boss!" they chorused with their bow. _

"_I have decided." the old man said as put down his tea cup. _

_The group looked up with surprise and excitement on their faces. Then, one of them stepped up and politely asked, "Who is it?"_

"_My successor is the one who carries my symbol around her neck. Seek her. That is my last command to you as your Boss." _

_All the while Shizuka skipped to the park, not knowing that the nice old man from the ramen shop just secured her a very nice future._

* * *

_-Kaminaga-Kurokami Shizuka POV-_

_It didn't take long for me to get to the park. I found the bench that I had used earlier that day and sat on it. Deciding to pass the time by using my laptop, I made myself comfortable and took out the machine. The minute I turned it on, I noticed that I had a new message. When I saw the username, I groaned. Why was she contacting me? Don't tell me the joke about her bugging my house was true._

_**GeNiUsBuNnYgUrL: **__Hey! Hi! Yo! Wassup Shizu-chan? Why did you pack up and leave?_

_**Me: **__You still owe me for 2 years ago. Don't look for me._

_**GeNiUsBuNnYgUrL: **__Fine_

_I kept the message short and to the point. I didn't know if she would respect my wishes, but I had to try. This person was resourceful and cunning. I knew that if she wanted to, she would be able to find me within a day. If I do a good job at hiding, the chance of my sister asking this person for help would be high. I had to make sure in advance that this person wouldn't give any help. _

_I closed my laptop when I noticed a shadow looming over me. I relaxed when I noticed that it belonged to my savior who was steadily watching me. "You're early, not that I mind."_

"_Umm, yeah. I knew I would have trouble leaving the house if I left later, so I left early instead." I said with a shrug. _

"_Is that all you are going to bring?" she asked. After I nodded, she motioned for me to follow her. "Come along, then. We'll get to know each other better while we walk." _

_I stood up and followed her obediently. This was the first step in my new life._

**Flashback End**

* * *

I waited patiently inside the front office of the school for my escort after receiving my schedule and a map. I was to be in Class 1-A since al the other classes had more people. Lucky me, I get to be in the same class as Orimura Ichika. I had mixed feelings on that. On one hand, I didn't want to see someone from my past so soon. On the other hand, this made my mission somewhat easier.

My uniform felt uncomfortable but I didn't let my discomfort show. There was only one thing on my mind right now.

The teacher was late. I don't know if it was because of the time I spent with Chitose-sama, but I didn't like it when people were late.

I heard the door beside me open so I turned my head to see the newcomer. It was a lady with a childish face. She had the most interesting hair color I've seen in a long time: green. Her eyes, like mine, were also green but hers were partially covered by her glasses. "Ah, you must be the new student in my class. I'm Yamada Maya."

"Nice to meet you, Yamada-sensei." I said politely. Was this person really a teacher? She seemed so perky and energetic. Oh well, better get this over with. "I'm Orimura Shizuka,"

"Orimura? Are you related to-" she started but I cut her off.

"Shouldn't we get going, sensei? I think we're late for class."

"AH you're right. Come on, let's go." she exclaimed before dashing out of the room. I sighed; this was going to be a long day.

It took us 5 minutes to get to the classroom. Yamada-sensei told me to wait outside until she signaled me to go in. I watched as she quieted the class down and make her morning announcements. Finally, after she informed the class about the tournament for Class Representatives, she got to me.

"Class, I'm happy to announce that we have a new student today. She was supposed to start school with the rest of you a month ago, but family reasons prevented her from returning to Japan until now. I'll have her introduce herself." she started before motioning me to come inside.

I calmly walked into the classroom "My name is Orimura Shizuka, nice to meet you all." I stated after a polite bow. It seemed like they were waiting for me to say something else, but I didn't want to give any more information. Unknowingly copying my brother when he made his introductions on his first day, I finished with a "That is all."

Out of nowhere, my danger senses started to go haywire. I could feel the incoming attack to my head. I fought the reflex to intercept the attack since there was no malicious intent.

"After disappearing for 5 years, this is all you say? Like brother like sister." a familiar voice said.

I resented that statement. Even if I did still consider Ichika to be my brother, I was nothing like him. I turned to face my attacker, who still had her hand in a fist after hitting me. Even though my outer face showed a calm individual, I was surprised on the inside. What was she doing here?

"I think that was child abuse, sensei. Aren't you going to do anything about this?" I asked the teacher next to me. After all, what kind of teacher lets a random adult come up and hit one of her students? I' m pretty sure there's a law against that.

The child-like teacher fidgeted a little. "Actually, I'm just an assistant teacher. Orimura-sensei is your real home-room teacher." she replied while subtly edging away from the both of us. It was like she could sense a confrontation coming.

Well crap. I never heard about this. Why the hell was someone as famous as her teaching at a school? Maybe I should have read the report more thoroughly. "Huh, I'm pretty sure it's against the law for teachers to hit students too." I revised my earlier statement, which resulted in another smack on the head that took all my power to not try to stop. I didn't want to look too suspicious here.

"Enough talk, go take your seat." she commanded while indicating the seat right in front of her. Whoopdee-fucking-doo, I get to sit right in front of the teacher. There went my sleeping time….was what I thought, but I still managed to doze off 2 minutes into the lecture even with Ichika burning a hole in the back of my head.

I guess having a sleeping student right in front of her was too much to ignore because not 5 minutes after I started my nap, I felt killing intent directed at me.

"Orimura! Since you seem to be paying attention, why don't you explain to the class what the Absolute Defense function is?" she yelled.

I simply lifted my head up and gazed at her. I wasn't going to answer the question; not because I didn't know the answer, but because I felt like messing with her a little.

"I asked you a question, Orimura!"

I turned my head towards Ichika, who was still staring at me. "I think she's asking you a question."

"That's right, there's two Orimuras in our class now. How are we going to address them?" Yamada-sensei, who caught on to what was going on, asked.

"I don't mind going by Kaminaga. It's what I've been using for the past 5 years." I replied with a hopeful look on my face. I really didn't want to be called Orimura since it brought up a few bad memories. When Chitose-sama took me in, she graciously allowed me to take on her surname. And then when the old man made me his successor, I was allowed usage of the Kurokami name. Even if it wasn't official, they still meant a lot more to me than the Orimura name did.

"No." she firmly rejected before pointing to me, "You will be Orimura-san while Ichika will be Orimura-kun. That is final."

* * *

The class went by without any more trouble and soon it was time for lunch. I was just about to get out of my seat to look for Mai when Ichika stalked up to me with Shinonono Houki in tow. That was a nostalgic sight, I hadn't seen the two of them together for years.

"Do you know how worried I was? How worried Chifuyu-nee was? You just up and left one day!" he yelled in my face looking more angry than worried. He probably spent the whole morning class time thinking about what to say to me.

I schooled my face with a stoic expression. "That's nice. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be right now."

That seemed to make him even angrier because he lifted both his hands and lunged at me. I didn't bother stopping his attack. What could someone who quit practicing the only martial art he knew 5 years ago ever do to me? I felt him grab the collar of my uniform and lift brought me closer to his face level. "That's nice? Is that all you can say after leaving us like that?" he asked incredulously. "When did you become such a selfish brat?"

Selfish? I guess I was selfish when I decided to run away. I was thinking about my happiness after all. Not that I would agree with him or anything; especially since he was all up in my face. Before I could properly tell him to shove off, I felt him lose his grip and saw that he was ruthlessly pulled off of me. What the heck? I sure didn't do that.

I saw some of the students in my class rush up to him to make sure that he was okay. It kind of ticked me off that none of them bothered to help me even though it was obvious that he was threatening me. I felt someone grab my hand and I looked up to see the face of a very pissed of Mai. If looks could kill, Ichika would be dead ten times over with the glare she was giving him. It kind of made me proud. She could never glare like that before she joined us.

She pulled me out of my seat and led me out of the room with one last glare at the sole male student.

We were both quiet as she led me to the roof. "Shizuka-sama, are you all right? That oaf didn't hurt you did he?" she frantically asked as she checked me over to make sure that I had no injuries when we got there.

I sighed. Sometimes, they could be so overprotective. "Mai, calm yourself. Did you forget who I am? There is no way that someone like him could hurt me."

"Oho? Someone dared tried to hurt Shizuka-sama?" a new voice spoke said by the doorway. I already knew who it was since there was only one other person in this school who would call me 'Shizuka-sama.'

Mai gave the new person a polite bow. "Miya-sama, good afternoon."

"How are you, Miya?" I didn't bother telling either of them to drop the -sama with my name. After months of trying and failing, I already accepted that I would never lose that moniker to my name. Besides, Chitose-sama told me that as an elite, such treatment was expected.

"I've been good. So what was this about someone attacking you?" Miya asked before suddenly turning to Mai, "And, didn't I tell you to bring Shizuka-sama to the Student Council Room?"

"Sorry Miya-sama, I wasn't thinking clearly enough. I was just so mad when I say that bastard threatening Shizuka-sama." Mai explained.

I sighed. "It wasn't that bad. I had things under control so don't worry. So, why did you want me to go to the Student Council Room? Does the President want something?" I asked Miya.

"Ah, that's right, I didn't tell you. I'm actually the Student Council President this year." Miya said with pride.

I blink. Being the President meant that she was the strongest person in the whole school. "Way to go, Miya! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have given you a gift to congratulate you!"

"I just wanted to surprise you. Besides, Mai didn't tell you that she was Class 1-D's Class Representative." Miya responded with a small smile as Mai gave her a betrayed look.

"We'll talk about that later. Anyways, why did you want to see me, President-san?" I teased with a smile of my own.

"I wanted you to be my Vice President." That caught me off guard.

"What? How can I be Vice President when I just transfered? I'm happy being a regular student, Miya. You don't have to go out of your way to give me a position. Besides, won't the other members of the Student Council get mad if I just waltz in and take the spot?"

"Actually, as the President, I can pick whoever I want to be on the Council. It's one of the perks of the position. I want you to be the Vice President. Besides, Mai is also on the Student Council so if you don't join, we'll be sad." Miya said and tried her best to give me the puppy dog eyes look. I'm sure that if any other student came up here and saw their fearsome President giving that look, they would have a heart attack.

"You just want me to join to keep an eye on me." I accused.

"Of course not! We need you awesome leadership skills!" Mai piped up.

"Fine, fine. Let's go to the Student Council Room then. Lunch is half over already, did you guys bring any food?" I asked. When they both shook their heads, I sighed again. They really needed to learn how to take care of their bodies better. "Good thing I brought some extra bentos* with me. We'll need to stop by my classroom to pick them up though."

"Great!" Mai yelled enthusiastically. "With Miya-sama here, that oaf wouldn't even think about attacking you again."

"By the way, since you're a Class Representative, you'll be taking part in the coming tournament right? How is the personal IS working for you?" I asked Mai.

The girl gave a feral grin. "It's great! There's no way I'm gonna lose! Akatsuki and I will beat the oaf to the ground!"

* * *

* Jōten no Kyōgi-kai : God's Council according to google translate….

* Ojii-san: a way of saying grandpa; an affectionate way of calling someone in his/her senior years that you are closed to.

* Jou-chan: an affectionate way of calling a girl; means something like Miss or little lady

* Bento: home packaged meal or takeout that people eat during lunch


	2. Schedule AN

Hey guys, sorry for not updating for a long time. Plenty of excuses but I won't bore you with them. I've decided to go back and redo some of my earlier chapters before updating new ones. Don't worry though, because it won't take too long.

So, here's a schedule sort of:

1. Ombranera - fix some stuff and add some stuff to earlier chapters (approx done in 1-2 days)

2. Ombranera - new chapter (approx done in 2-3 days)

3. Result of Pretence - new chapter ( approx done in 2 days)

4. Wayward Plan - fix and add in earlier chapters (approx done in 3-4 days)

5. Wayward Plan - new chapter ( approx done in 4-5 days)

6. Out of the Shadows - fix and add ( approx done in 3-4 days)

7. Out of the Shadows - new chapter ( approx done in 5 days)

8. Don't know if anyone wants me to continue Starting Anew or not... tell me if you do

Again sorry for the delay, but there will be a new chapter within a week for these stories.

Thanks for reading.


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